


Mistletoe Snapshots

by ShadowHaloedAngel



Category: Ocean's 8 (2018)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Female Friendship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Girls Kissing, Ice Skating, Kissing, Romance, Softness, Sweetness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-15 17:54:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16937949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowHaloedAngel/pseuds/ShadowHaloedAngel
Summary: Companion piece to Mistletoe and Mulled Wine for the alternative versions of the prompts that won't leave me alone, mainly focused on the other couples but there will probably be some Lou/Debbie still because I can't stop myself. Snippets of backstory and character development. There will almost certainly be crack too.





	1. Ice Skating - Nine Ball and Tammy

"Where's your mom at?" Leslie asks, catching sight of Derek in the dining room "Come on bud, you know you're supposed to keep your football outside or in the playroom... don't go makin' any more marks on your mama's wallpaper."

"Fine... she's out at the pond."

Leslie blinks and frowns a little, but the way Derek said it makes it seem like it's a regular occurrence. He didn't sound at all surprised by it.

Leslie grabs her coat, because it's fucking freezing and she still hates the cold. There's a big pond out the back of Tammy's house, usually it's just a source of amusement for the kids, especially in the summer. She's pretty sure there must be a good reason for Tammy being out there in the freezing cold, but off the top of her head she can't imagine what that is.

She tramps out across the frosty grass, appreciating the way it crunches under her feet. Turns out winter's not so bad in some ways outside of the city. Weekends out in suburbia are turning out to be a perk she hadn't expected. 

The sight that greets her eyes as she gets within view of the pond makes Leslie stop dead. 

Tammy's in her own little world, and it's quite possible that she might never have looked more beautiful. 

She's skating in circles, carving patterns into the ice with flashing blades, forwards and backwards, with spins and turns and honestly this is better than the Olympics. 

Leslie has forgotten how to breathe, and she has so many questions, but asking them would mean disturbing Tammy's flow, and she can't imagine a worse thing to do right now. This thing between them is still new, they're taking it slow, and Leslie understands having secrets. It started between them as something in the here and now, something based on accepting each other as they were then, as they are now, without any of the previous baggage. Tammy's a prize enough that Leslie has never even questioned that. She's not about to pressure her for more than she's willing to surrender about her past when it doesn't have a bearing on their future. Okay so she never imagined falling in love with a suburban single mother who happens to have a sideline as a top fence, but Leslie's always been pretty cool with the cards falling where they may. You can take the shot, but you can't always control where the balls will roll. 

This feels like a glimpse into a side of Tammy she's never seen, and she wonders how many people have seen it before, how many people know Tammy like this. Debbie might. She's not even sure about Lou, she's always had the feeling Debbie and Tammy go further back, but they're all so close-knit it's hard to tell. When she got the call it was because she had skills they needed (and, apparently, because she's not Russian and doesn't have balls), but although she'd never say it (words aren't really her thing), she's pretty grateful to have been invited into this world. 

Never moreso than at this moment, watching Tammy be free and happy. For all the separation was amicable, it's been weighing on her, and the coparenting is going just fine but there's a lot on Tammy's shoulders, always has been, and when they met it was obvious she'd been chafing a little at the restrictions of the life she'd built. Tammy is an excellent mother, but she has always been more than that, and before Debbie came along, her life wasn't letting her do that. Society has all kinds of toxic bullshit messages it sends to women, and Leslie doesn't have time for any of them. 

Tammy skates easily over to the edge of the pond, her eyes bright and alive, and she reaches for Leslie's hands. 

"You okay there?"

Her breath is misting in the air, her cheeks are flushed, her lips are pink, and she has quite honestly never looked more beautiful. 

Leslie squeezes her hands and smiles. 

"Yeah. Was just lookin' for you. Derek said you were out here, didn't tell me why though. You do this often?"

"Not very. Pond only freezes over in winter, and I have to wait for it to be solid, but... it's a little bit of an escape. Particularly when we're all trapped in the house and I feel like I'm going stir-crazy."

"I can imagine that bein' rough. Where'd you learn to skate like that?"

"I used to have lessons when I was younger. Used to be pretty good, skated in a few competitions, but I gave it all up when I went to college. I was never... as committed as you need to be to be really good, and honestly I didn't have that level of talent. You hit a certain point and the investment to get better kinda... hits a ceiling. It wasn't worth breaking that ceiling for. But I still enjoy it."

Leslie kisses her, soft and warm, because she knows how it makes Tammy melt. 

"Good. You deserve more things you enjoy, babe. You ever think of hitting a big rink?"

"Wasn't really possible before... and it's been a long time. Maybe one of the weekends the kids are with their dad, though. Would you... want to come?"

"I've never been skatin' before."

"I could teach you?"

"Or.... I could stand on the sidelines with a hot drink and watch my baby soar?"

"Or... you could come around with me for a little while and I can show you the basics, and then you can stand on the sideline with two hot drinks and watch me show off until I come over to you to warm up?"

Leslie grins and kisses her again. 

"You know I'll always keep you warm. I better be headin' back to the house, check on Derek and Keri. You gonna be out here much longer?"

"No, it's about time I come back really, but... thank you... for letting me have that."

And Leslie squeezes her hands gently one more time, shaking her head, because she knows she could never deny this woman anything. 

"...Any time, babe. You just say the word. I'll get some cocoa goin' so you can warm up when you come in."

"Thank you. I won't be long."

"Take as long as you need baby. I'll be waitin' when you're ready."

And Tammy shoots her a smile like a supernova as she pushes off to glide out onto the ice one more time. 

Leslie just tucks her coat closer around herself and tramps back towards the house. Yeah. Cocoa sounds good.


	2. Decorating the tree - Daphne and Rose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 5\. christmas decorations. kitschy and annoying or cute? they fight./7. the fight was settled, they decorate the house

Daphne and Rose decorating 5/7

"So love... I was wondering... what do you usually do about decorating?"

Daphne does her best not to wince, putting on her best public face. It's a trick that she tries not to deploy too often, and especially not with Rose, but... well, she's been trying to avoid broaching this subject, wondering how long she'll be able to get away with keeping Christmas out of the apartment. It's not that she has anything against it as such, it's just... well. It's complicated. Unfortunately it's also fairly obvious that this is something Rose cares about. Daphne hadn't really thought about that, but now... she's not really surprised. Rose is a sweetheart with a heart of gold and a core of steel wrapped in caramel. If she has to, she can be ruthless, but it doesn't come naturally to her, and Rose just... cares. 

"Well I mean, I haven't lived here that long, so I haven't exactly, y'know, had the chance to build up like... a stash or anything."

Rose blinks owlishly. 

"Oh, I'm sorry love, I thought you said you'd been here a couple of years now... but it's not a problem, we can certainly go out on a shopping trip."

"I don't know, I mean... the schedule's pretty hectic, you know? I've got... auditions and parties and such, so maybe this year we should just... not worry about it too much? Besides... I mean, are we definitely going to be here for Christmas? I wasn't ure if you were going home or something..."

"This is my home, love. Not that I don't miss Ireland, don't get me wrong, but I've got a life here, and a home here, and most importantly I've got you. Besides, it's a bit late to book flights. I usually try to get home in the summer, it's so beautiful."

"Maybe next year I could come with you?"

"I'd like that love, do you know what your filming schedule will be like?"

"No, but I'm sure we can work it out... I'd love to come see where you grew up?"

"That'd be lovely... what can we do here in the meantime? After all... well, I mean, I don't want to take over, I know this is... your place and I've not been living here long but... it might be nice, that's all?"

Damn. Okay. Her attempt to steer the conversation in a different direction hasn't worked, and somehow they're back on Christmas again. Rose doesn't really ask for much at all, and she's so... earnest all the time it's hard for Daphne to say no. Her merciless bitch persona works outside of these walls, but Rose has a shortcut to the marshmallowy centre Daphne will never admit she has, and goddammit there's no way she's going to be able to get out of this. 

"I mean, it's nothing personal Rose I just... don't do much for Christmas that's all. I'm not usually here, I'm... miles away from my family, so I haven't been home for years because there's always business going on, there's always places I need to be showing my face, people I need to be meeting and schmoozing with, interviews to give, sometimes I'm not even in the country, and so there's just... not a lot of point in spending time and money decorating somewhere I won't even really be when all it's going to do is rub it in that I'm on my own here."

Rose blinks at her a few times, eyes even huger than usual in her face, and immediately Daphne feels terrible. She didn't mean to snap like that. It's not exactly a deep dark secret, but there's a whole deep well of insecurity under her surface and sometimes it bubbles up in an ugly way. She hates when that poison splashes on Rose though, because she does her best to keep it under control. Maybe she can salvage this? 

"Besides... it's not that big a deal, right? So many decorations are just... y'know, the wrong side of tacky..."

She can practically see Rose deflating. It's not like this isn't hurting Daphne either, but she never meant to inflict it on Rose too. The way she ends up hurting everyone else around her is one of Daphne's least favourite things about herself. Really, though, it's just another entry on the list. 

"Yes love... of course. You're right. I just thought maybe... well, it's nice to have a space where you don't have to live up to the rest of the rules and expectations, isn't it?"

She feels like she should have known somehow that Rose would be a tacky over-the-top Christmas kind of person, but there's no way to unsay any of the things she's said, and so Daphne just sighs and smiles. 

"...Yeah, it is. But that's why I have you."

She leans in for a quick kiss and pats Rose's thigh. 

"C'mon. We've got that dinner to get to."

"Oh yes of course love, it's a good thing you're keeping an eye on the time, otherwise we'd never get anywhere..."

"Part of why we make such a good team."

Rose's smile is guileless and brilliant and Daphne catches herself just staring at it for a minute before she shakes herself out of it and heads for the bedroom. Sometimes she still can't believe she got this lucky. Rose is about the only person in Daphne's life who doesn't play the game, and as confusing as it can sometimes feel that she doesn't have more of a grip on the cutthroat rules of the business, even just by association, it's refreshing and Daphne is determined to do everything she can to make sure it never changes. 

***

It's been two days and Daphne still can't stop thinking about that conversation with Rose about decorating. It never mattered before, it was just her, and her space, and the depressing, crushing, overwhelming loneliness of knowing she had nobody to spend the festive season with. But when she'd said no, even to something Rose had been so obviously hopeful about, the other woman had accepted it without a word of complaint and now Daphne is reevaluating everything, again. Rose seems to make her do that a lot, and actually, Daphne finds she doesn't mind. 

It's Friday, and there's yet another awful party that she's supposed to be going to, but it's only the beginning of the month and Daphne is already tired of them. It's been... an interesting year, and there are plenty of those in the business who haven't yet adjusted to her change in status from an overrated starlet and the darling of the tabloids to a woman with her own production company who has directed a feature of her own already and is lining up several more. She has never been an airhead, and these days she has even less patience for those who think she is (unless she can turn it to her advantage). 

On a whim, Daphne sends her apologies to the host and instead goes shopping. She has a lot to buy. 

When Rose gets home from the studio, it's late and she was expecting the apartment to be empty. Daphne has always been good about keeping Rose in the loop on her schedule, and it's nice to know when she has engagements she's particularly dreading so that Rose can help her unwind afterwards, and remind her that she is loved for who she is already. 

The older woman stops in the doorway and blinks a few times, while Daphne tries for an ingratiating smile, frozen in place as she tries to string a garland over some pictures. 

"...What're you doing?"

"Decorating?"

"I thought you hated decorating. Besides, aren't you meant to be at a party tonight?"

"Well... Technically yes but I couldn't face another one and this seemed... more important. I thought about it and realised that just because not decorating and trying to pretend Christmas wasn't happening around me was kind of my tradition, it didn't have to be /our/ tradition... I know you were trying to be casual about it, but you never ask about things like that unless they're important to you and you looked... a little crushed."

"I know Christmas isn't always a joyous time and I also know I can get a little... singleminded."

"Overenthusiastic?"

Daphne suggests, with an affectionate smile, and Rose blushes a little but smiles back. 

"Maybe a little bit. So I thought... if maybe you didn't feel it, it wouldn't be fair to make you miserable about it when there aren't many places people who don't feel Christmassy can go to get away from it."

Daphne drops the garland and crosses over to Rose to hug her because Rose is always so considerate. She might not get it right every time, but she tries to make space for other people, and it's something Daphne loves about her more than anything else, because it means that even while she's trying to file them down there is still room for her sharp edges here. 

"...Thank you. I love you."

"I love you too. Now, what are you doing with these decorations?"

"I'm not quite sure yet... I was sort of hoping you might help with that, after all, you're the expert here..."

"True enough love, alright, let's see what you've got... oh dear well, this will have to do to start with... I'm sure we can make it work."

And Rose shifts into work mode and Daphne grins, following instructions as Rose starts examining the materials she bought, pointing and gesturing and narrating her grand plan. This is comfortingly familiar, and Daphne finds she doesn't mind at all.


	3. Christmas Eve - Lou and Debbie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lou's perspective of Mistletoe and Mulled Wine Chapter 24

Of the days over the holiday period, Lou has always liked Christmas Eve. It's not about the day as much as the night, because often it's been a day they've had to work, taking advantage of the last minute shopping scrambles to lift their own essentials. The night, though, has always been theirs, strangely magical even though she doesn't really believe in things like that. It's been time for whispered secrets and timeless kisses, and this year is no different. 

These days the candlelight is because it's atmospheric, it's soft and romantic and scents of Christmas linger in the air. It's a far cry from the years they spent not being able to pay the electricity bill, but nostalgia like this is safe and something to be savoured, even if Lou would never admit to being nostalgic for anything. She's always looked forward, wanted to move on to whatever the next thing is and leave the past as it is. This time of year can do strange things though, and having Debbie back is only adding to the problem. 

She's just finished clearing away the remains of dinner, and she turns to see Debbie curled up on the couch with her long legs tucked up beneath her, eyes shining, and Lou rests her hands on her hips, unable to suppress a grin. Debbie is capable of the most fantastic control of her facial expressions, really, she is, with everyone except for Lou because with Lou the walls don't need to come up. What's written all over her face now is childish anticipation and excitement. Lou's almost surprised she's not squirming with it. 

After waiting a beat to spin it out a little longer, Lou crosses the room and flops down next to her, tugging Debbie in to kiss her hair and her temple on the way to her lips because every inch of this woman is uniquely kissable and Lou doesn't see a reason to hold back. 

"So... presents?"

Debbie's face lights up, but her smile is a little self-aware all the same. 

"...I wasn't hiding it that well, huh?"

Lou feels her heart swell with fondness, because it's amazing to her that after so long, after everything that's happened, Debbie can still be so innocently happy at times and take such joy in the little things. She can't resist the urge to kiss her one more time. 

"No. But you never do. It's one of the many things I love about you."

Debbie pulls a face, her nose scrunching up, and it's so tempting to kiss it but for now Lou resists. 

"Imagine my relief. So which one of us is going first?"

Lou can feel butterflies in her stomach and she knows this is the moment, there will never ever be a more perfect opportunity than this because she doesn't want to wait any longer, wants to make it official, wants Debbie to be hers forever because they've waited twenty fucking years and even if she knows Debbie's name is branded on her soul, knows Debbie isn't going to leave her, she wants a bond the world can't deny any longer. But she also knows that whatever Debbie has for her that she's obviously so excited about needs to happen first because what she's planning is what might be called a showstopper. 

She smiles fondly, leaning in for one more kiss from cherry red lips. 

"...You can."

Debbie bites her lip and tugs an envelope out of nowhere, naked hope written all over her face as Lou takes it, glancing up through her fringe. 

"...What's this?"

Debbie offers a slight shrug and an almost engimatic smile. 

"Guess you'll have to open it to find out?"

Lou laughs, but she opens the envelope and flicks through the contents, seeing places and names and dates... but she can't quite make sense of it all so she looks to Debbie for guidance. 

"I'm none the wiser?"

"I... did a little research. You hardly ever take time away, other than just after the heist, and so... I talked to Farah about when the club's quiet season is... but we've got time to change the bookings if we need to... there's a classic bike ride in Maine, along Route 1? It's less than two hundred miles but... I figured we could maybe go... go together? Take a week and... drive the coastal road and stay at some little places... it's not far from here, and in the club off season it shouldn't be too busy. Fresh seafood and just... time and space together? I know you had fun doing the Pacific Highway and if you'd rather go alone that's fine but..."

Debbie's getting caught up in her own thoughts the way she always does, doubt and insecurity creeping in, and Lou knows how to put a stop to that, claiming her lips mid-sentence because it all makes sense and it's /perfect/, and she can't think of anything she'd rather do than a trip like that with Debbie and it's such a fucking cliche but just because something's cliche doesn't mean it's not worth doing... California had been great, but Maine with Debbie and kitschy B&Bs? So not her usual scene, and now something she wants so much it aches a little in the pit of her stomach. If she had needed yet another confirmation that she was doing the right thing tonight, this would be it. 

The shy relief in Debbie's eyes when Lou breaks the kiss, the tender little show of happiness... Lou wants to keep this woman safe with her forever, and now is finally the time to ask. 

"I love it. Thank you. Good thing you've got leathers to unwrap tomorrow if you're going to come with me huh?" She glances down at the reservations, "...You really wanna come with me?"

"Yes. I do. Sounds pretty romantic to me..."

"Mmmn... me too... thank you. It's... amazing."

Debbie settles back and smiles, satisfied and relieved and floating on the euphoria of relief. 

"So... what did you get me?"

Well. It's now or never. Lou pauses for a moment to steady herself, willing her hands not to shake as she pushes herself just that little bit off the couch, landing easily on one knee and staring at the floor as she tugs the box from her pocket. She can't meet Debbie's eyes just yet, terrified of having got this wrong, because you're supposed to talk about it but this is one of those things that's always passed in unspoken understanding between them, or at least, it had until Claude and prison and now... Lou's tired of words unsaid and promises that melt away in the sunshine. She just hopes her voice doesn't shake.

"...I've been thinking about this for a long time. Honestly possibly even before you went away but... in the last few months a lot of things have kind of... crystallised for me... and... If I know anything, I know that I don't want to be without you anymore. So. We've been together a long time, Deborah Ocean, but how about we make this official." She takes a deep breath and looks back up to meet Debbie's eyes, using every ounce of courage she has as she finally asks, "...Will you marry me?"

The look on Debbie's face is... well, Lou's heard the expression rabbit in the headlights before, but she doesn't think she's ever seen it so perfectly encapsulated, and there's an ache there too, but it's an ache Lou's seen on Debbie's face before and it makes her heart lift, because that is the expression Debbie wears when she wants something so much she can hardly bear it, but doesn't believe it's real. She sees the perfect pink tip of Debbie's tongue poke out, attempting to moisten her lips, and there are tears in the corners of Debbie's eyes as she stares at the ring, then at Lou, then back again. 

"...Are you sure about this Lou? Are you... really really sure?"

Debbie's voice cracks, and Lou can feel the tension bleeding out of her because this is the woman she loves, the woman she knows better than anyone, and being one of the few people who knows, who truly knows, how insecure Debbie Ocean can be about her own place in the world, about her own worth her own abilities... it's a bittersweet love but she wouldn't change it for the world, because being trusted means that every day she can try to show Debbie just how deserving and loved she really is. 

"Debbie. You know me. Do you really think I'd be asking this if I wasn't sure? If I hadn't thought about it. I love you. I know I want this. This is right. I've never been so sure of anything before. So yes. I'm sure. Will you marry me?"

Debbie is nodding now, the tears threatening to spill over as she falls to her knees next to Lou and Lou catches her instinctively close, trying to cushion the blow, trying to kiss away the tears as she slides the ring onto Debbie's finger and it fits perfectly and it looks /right/ there on her finger and for a moment Lou forgets how to breathe. 

Debbie's smile is fragile and damp as she looks into Lou's eyes again, managing to tear her gaze away from the ring for just a moment. 

"...Is this for real?"

"Yes sweetheart, I promise. This is very real. Merry Christmas."

"...I love you so much. Merry Christmas."

"I love you too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://www.antiquejewellerycompany.com/shop/art-deco-18ct-gold-platinum-sapphire-diamond-three-stone-ring/


End file.
